Royal Festival Hall

Find out what's on at Royal Festival Hall, London's leading music venue located on the banks of the River Thames at the heart of Southbank Centre, plus all the best places to eat, drink and shop while you're here.

As well as a 2,700 capacity auditorium, the Royal Festival Hall is also where you'll find The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Southbank Centre Shop, Riverside Terrace Cafe, Central Bar and Skylon restaurant.

Opened in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain, the Grade I listed Hall is one of the world’s leading performance venues.

visitor info

Planning a visit to our iconic Royal Festival Hall? Here’s some useful information.

opening times

Royal Festival Hall is open 10am – 11pm every day*.

Auditorium doors open 30 minutes before the start time of an event.

Entry to our foyers is free although sometimes it is restricted to provide space for audiences as they arrive for performances – please look out for signs and listen to announcements.

*Occasionally Royal Festival Hall is closed to the public due to private hire. We publicise these times across the site and online, so please check before visiting.

facilities & access

At Southbank Centre we welcome everyone and want our site to be available to all. We are working hard to remove barriers so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.

tickets & concessions

Tickets to all of our events and exhibitions can be booked online, by telephone in person. Find out all you need to know about tickets, including collection, concessions, group bookings and more on the link below.

food & drink

food & drink

There are bars on Levels 2, 4 and 5 of the building open to the public. The Members' Cafe-Bar, located on Level 6 with panoramic views over the river, is open to Southbank Centre Members. If you fancy some alfresco dining, the Riverside Cafe is located on Level 2.

Royal Festival Hall has the acclaimed Skylon restaurant with contemporary food, original cocktails and stunning views over the river.